Burton Lawless
Encyclopedia
Richard Burton Lawless is a former American college and professional football
player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League
(NFL) for six seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Lawless played college football
for the University of Florida
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys
and Detroit Lions
of the NFL.
in 1953. He attended Charlotte High School
in Punta Gorda, Florida
, where he was an all-state tight end
and offensive lineman for the Charlotte Fighting Tarpons high school football
team. In 2007, thirty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
(FHSAA) recognized Lawless as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
to attend the University of Florida
in Gainesville, Florida
, where he played for coach Doug Dickey
's Florida Gators football
team from 1971 to 1974. He was a three-year starter, a second-team All-Southeastern conference
(SEC) selection in 1973 and 1974, and a first-team All-American during his senior season in 1974.
Lawless returned to the university during the NFL off-season to finish his bachelor's degree
in exercise and sport sciences 1977, and he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978.
in the second round (forty-fourth pick overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft
, and he played for the Cowboys for five seasons. Lawless was the only member of 1975 draft to earn a starting job during his rookie season, and played for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII
, but he lost his starting job to Herbert Scott
in . He served as a messenger guard in Dallas for most of the remainder of the decade before being traded to the Detroit Lions
in . Lawless played one final season in Detroit. In his six-season NFL career, Lawless played in eighty-two games, and started twenty-three of them.
Lawless attended the Cowboys alumni reunion and closing ceremony at Texas Stadium
in Dallas on December 20, 2008.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was an offensive lineman in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) for six seasons during the 1970s and 1980s. Lawless played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
for the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and thereafter, he played professionally for the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
of the NFL.
Early years
Lawless was born in Dothan, AlabamaDothan, Alabama
Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...
in 1953. He attended Charlotte High School
Charlotte High School (Punta Gorda, Florida)
Charlotte High School is a historic public high school in Punta Gorda, Florida, United States serving ninth through twelfth grade students. The school is part of the Charlotte County Public Schools district, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes. Established in 1926,...
in Punta Gorda, Florida
Punta Gorda, Florida
Punta Gorda is a city in Charlotte County, Florida, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates of 2007, the city had a population of 16,762. It is the county seat of Charlotte County and the only incorporated municipality in the county...
, where he was an all-state tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
and offensive lineman for the Charlotte Fighting Tarpons high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
team. In 2007, thirty-six years after he graduated from high school, the Florida High School Athletic Association
Florida High School Athletic Association
The Florida High School Athletic Association is an organization whose purpose is to organize sports competition for high school It is a member of the National Federation of State High School Associations ....
(FHSAA) recognized Lawless as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" of Florida high school football.
College career
Lawless received an athletic scholarshipAthletic scholarship
An athletic scholarship is a form of scholarship to attend a college or university awarded to an individual based predominantly on his or her ability to play in a sport...
to attend the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
in Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Gainesville is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Alachua County, Florida, United States as well as the principal city of the Gainesville, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area . The preliminary 2010 Census population count for Gainesville is 124,354. Gainesville is home to the sixth...
, where he played for coach Doug Dickey
Doug Dickey
Douglas Adair "Doug" Dickey is a former American college football player and coach and college athletics administrator. Dickey is a South Dakota native who was raised in Florida and graduated from the University of Florida, where he played college football...
's Florida Gators football
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
team from 1971 to 1974. He was a three-year starter, a second-team All-Southeastern conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) selection in 1973 and 1974, and a first-team All-American during his senior season in 1974.
Lawless returned to the university during the NFL off-season to finish his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in exercise and sport sciences 1977, and he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1978.
Professional career
Lawless was selected by the Dallas CowboysDallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
in the second round (forty-fourth pick overall) of the 1975 NFL Draft
1975 NFL Draft
The 1975 National Football League Draft was held on January 28–29, 1975.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, and he played for the Cowboys for five seasons. Lawless was the only member of 1975 draft to earn a starting job during his rookie season, and played for the Cowboys in Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII
Super Bowl XII was an American football game played on January 15, 1978 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1977 regular season...
, but he lost his starting job to Herbert Scott
Herbert Scott
Herbert Carnell Scott is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League...
in . He served as a messenger guard in Dallas for most of the remainder of the decade before being traded to the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
in . Lawless played one final season in Detroit. In his six-season NFL career, Lawless played in eighty-two games, and started twenty-three of them.
Lawless attended the Cowboys alumni reunion and closing ceremony at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
in Dallas on December 20, 2008.
See also
- 1974 College Football All-America Team1974 College Football All-America TeamThe 1974 College Football All-America team is composed of various organizations that choose College All-America teams that season. The organizations that chose the teams were Associated Press, United Press International, Newspaper Enterprise Association, Football Writers Association of America,...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- Florida Gators football, 1970–1979
- List of Dallas Cowboys players
- List of Detroit Lions players
- List of Florida Gators football players
- List of University of Florida alumni